SCUBA Equipment List

Scuba diving is an equipment-intensive sport. Much of the equipment required is essential, as diving would be impossible without it. Other articles of equipment are not strictly speaking necessary, but are so useful they are part of virtually every diver's kit. Finally, there are other items necessary only under particular circumstances or handy accessories, but their use is not universal.

  1. Dive Mask

    • The dive mask is one of the more essential pieces of scuba equipment. Masks retain a pocket of air in front of the eyes, allowing them to focus normally in the underwater environment. Divers wear masks instead of goggles because masks enclose the nose as well as the eyes, allowing divers to inject air into the mask as they go deeper. Adding extra air to the air pocket behind the mask counteracts the mounting water pressure encountered as a diver descends.

    Wetsuits

    • The main purpose of a neoprene wetsuit is to protect the diver from cold sea water. The suit traps a thin layer of water under the neoprene, which is then warmed by body heat and used to further insulate the body. Wetsuits are usually tight-fitting to restrict the flow of water in and out of the suit. Wetsuits are typically worn even in tropical waters, both because colder water is often found under the surface and to protect the diver from jellyfish and stinging corals. Divers in very cold areas, such as British Columbia or Scotland, wear drysuits instead. A drysuit uses tight seals and compressed air to keep water out of the suit, providing better insulation.

    Weights and Buoyancy Gear

    • Divers need weights to help them sink, since the air in the lungs combined with the buoyant neoprene of a wetsuit is usually enough to keep a diver floating on or near the surface. These weights are often worn on a belt. However, once in the depths of the sea, water pressure squeezes both the air in the lungs and the air bubbles in the neoprene of the wetsuit, compressing them and making them less buoyant. To counteract this, divers use a buoyancy control device (BCD). BCD's usually take the form of a vest with an internal air bladder fed by a hose leading to the air tank. Adding and subtracting air from the BCD allows a diver to adjust their buoyancy through a dive, with the aim of achieving neutral buoyancy, or the state where a diver is neither ascending or descending. Strictly speaking, a BCD isn't necessary, but it is so useful it is a standard part of modern scuba diving. Some BCDs have pockets for weights, so a diver can store the weights in the BCD and not bother with the weight belt.

    Regulators and Air Tanks

    • The tank of compressed air is another key element of diving equipment, since without it the dive would be impossible. The regulator is connected to the air tank, and it uses valves to adjust the pressure of air leaving the tank to the pressure of the surrounding water. This air is then fed to the BCD, a gauge indicating how much air is in the tank, and one or two mouthpieces for breathing. The mouthpieces are called "second stages" in technical jargon, and the secondary mouthpiece (if there is one) is usually referred to as an "octopus."

    Fins and Snorkels

    • Fins are also essential for scuba diving, since they increase the surface area of the feet and allow a diver to translate more of the power of their legs into propulsive force while swimming. Snorkels are common, but not essential. Their main use is in allowing a diver to breathe easily on the surface in rough conditions without having to resort to their mouthpiece and air supply.

    Accessories

    • A variety of accessories are commonly found in a scuba diver's kit. An underwater compass or reel of directional line are handy tools for navigating underwater. Underwater flashlights are useful for exploring caves, shipwrecks, as supplemental lights for underwater photography, and for night dives. Many divers carry a dive knife or a pair of diving sheers, mostly in case someone becomes entangled in fishing line. Finally, most divers carry a log book with notes on every dive they have completed. This offers proof of a diver's experience and capability to any new dive shop operator, such as is often the case when a diver travels to a place like Cozumel or the Red Sea on vacation.